Postdoc in assay development of HTP protein characterisation - DTU Biosustain

Help us create a sweet future. Sweet proteins represent an excellent opportunity to develop sustainable and healthy sweeteners still allowing the pleasures of sweet foods and beverages. To fully unleash their potential, protein design towards superior functionality for various applications in the food industry is key. Be part of the change and apply your skills in assay development for high-throughput protein characterization in an application oriented research project.
Sugar and calory dense diets are closely linked to adverse health effects and diet is the single most important environmental factor affecting human health. Yet, humans evolved in resource scarce environments and are highly rewarded for the intake of energy rich foods, resulting in an overconsumption of sugar in many parts of the world today. To cater to both our flavour preferences and our health, non caloric sweeteners have great potential. Yet, all known sweeteners come with some challenges in regards to their health effects, flavour profile and functionality in the food environment. While the majority of sweeteners are based on small molecules, there is a class of natural sweeteners found in tropical fruits that are protein-based. These sweet proteins are much sweeter than sucrose and exhibit additionally interesting features such as a high stability and solubility. However, they share common functionality deficits with many other sweeteners used today. Yet, due to the nature of being proteins, protein design can address these shortcomings to develop new and functionality superior sweet proteins. In order to assess the functionality of the designed variants, downstream characterization assays at small scale in high throughput need to be developed. If you are interested in method development and have experience with GPCRs and microfluidics this is an excellent opportunity to work in a highly application oriented project with potential impact on the food system of tomorrow. We offer an outstanding research environment with strong interest and experience in entrepreneurial activities, a multidisciplinary research team working on various aspects of sweet protein production and a fruitful network of well-established collaborations that enables knowledge transfer and lies a great foundation for an academic or industrial future.

Responsibilities and qualifications
You will be responsible to independently plan, execute and interpret scientific experiments in close collaboration and communication within the research group but also collaborators in Denmark and abroad. It is expected that you will keep yourself updated on the scientific literature and entrepreneurial as well as IP landscape. You will further have the opportunity to disseminate your knowledge through supervision of students and presentations at scientific conferences and workshops.

In addition, you bring the following qualifications:

• Experience in in vitro pharmacology with GPCRs
• Experience in transfection of cell lines and/or genetic engineering of yeast
• Experience in method development and validation
• Experience with microfluidics
• Innovative and out of the box thinking
• Problem solving mind set
• Enthusiasm, motivation and dedication to research
• Strong communication skills when writing up and presenting scientific results
• Ability to work independently, to conceptualize research findings and to build and maintain scientific collaborations

As a formal qualification, you must hold a PhD degree (or equivalent).

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility.

Salary and terms of employment
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. The allowance will be agreed upon with the relevant union.

The period of employment is 1 year starting the 1st of September 2024.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.
Further information
Further information may be obtained from [email protected] or [email protected].

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark.

Application procedure
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 11 June 2024 (23:59 Danish time).

Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• Application (cover letter)
• CV
• Academic Diplomas (MSc/PhD – in English)
• List of publications
• Letter of recommendation

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply.

The Microbial Foods subgroup in the Bacterial Synthetic Biology Section at DTU Biosustain is working on the development of sustainable foods for the future using microorganisms. We share our passion and enthusiasm for microbiology, a green future and food. We are thriving towards scientific innovation and excellence through thoughtful and responsible science, communication and collaboration.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability (DTU Biosustain)
Recent progress in our ability to read and write genomic code, combined with advances in automation, analytics and data science, has fundamentally changed the scope and ambition of harnessing the potential of biological systems. Big data approaches and analysis of biological systems are key research instruments at the Center. DTU Biosustain utilizes these advances for microbial cell factory design to foster sustainable lifestyles in relation to three application areas: Sustainable Chemicals, Natural Products, and Microbial Foods.

Technology for people
DTU develops technology for people. With our international elite research and study programmes, we are helping to create a better world and to solve the global challenges formulated in the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU in 1829 with a clear mission to develop and create value using science and engineering to benefit society. That mission lives on today. DTU has 13,500 students and 6,000 employees. We work in an international atmosphere and have an inclusive, evolving, and informal working environment. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland, and we collaborate with the best universities around the world.

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